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The current CBA will still be in effect throughout next season, but both sides would like to get a deal done sooner rather than later.

Negotiations are always intense, but those associated with the WNBA have much to be excited about.

The league is expanding and will increase the number of regular season games to 44. The WNBA will hold an expansion draft for Golden State in December. The Valkyries will be the league’s 13th franchise. The league will add franchises in Toronto and Portland in 2026, with at least one other team starting in either 2027 or 2028.

Although the WNBA could lose one of its iconic stars if Diana Taurasi announces her retirement, league officials are looking forward to another highly anticipated draft. The draft lottery is next month. It will determine who gets the first pick and potentially Paige Bueckers, who 21 years after Taurasi could become the next UConn guard to be selected No. 1.

Many of the league’s top players will remain in the U.S. this winter and play in January in Unrivaled — the 3-on-3 league started by WNBA Finals standouts Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

The Stewart and Collier championship showdown led to strong ratings, with all five games having more than a million TV viewers. The decisive Game 5 drew an average of 2.2 million viewers, peaking at 3.3 million, which made it the most-watched WNBA game in 25 years.

The league as a whole had its most-watched regular season in 24 years and best attendance in 22 seasons. During the 40-game regular season, 22 telecasts topped at least a million viewers on a host of networks.

The league’s rookie class, led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, was a big part of that success — and all should come back stronger and better next year.

“When Caitlin Clark…

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Mohegan Inspire’s table drop increased from US$30.3m in February to US$85.2m in August.

South Korea.- Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) has reported that the mass-market and premium-mass gaming table drop at Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort was US$85.2m in August, up 181.2 per cent since the casino at the complex opened in February. The number of casino visits increased by 185.3 per cent from 10,771 to 30,729.

At an investor day event, COO Joseph Hasson said there was still significant untapped market potential for Mohegan Inspire. He said the player rewards database expanded by 143.5 per cent since the casino’s launch, from 38,216 in February to 93,075 in August. The hotel occupancy rate increased by 31.4 percentage points, from 58.3 per cent to 89.7 per cent.

As for non-gaming offerings, which were introduced last November, Hasson mentioned live musical performances at the resort’s 15,000-capacity arena, the indoor water park, and the fully developed shopping and dining options centred around the property’s ‘digital entertainment street’, which features content that changes every 15 minutes.

The group’s fiscal year runs to September 30. For the quarter ending on June 30, the casino operator posted net revenue of US$504.16m, up 9.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 21.4 per cent when compared to last year.

The company attributed the rise to the continued growth of Mohegan Digital and Mohegan Inspire which posted net revenue of US$60.1m. The venue recorded negative adjusted EBITDA of US$7.6m. The net slot win was US$2,513 and the net table win US$35,270. Hotel occupancy amounted to 70.8 per cent in the second quarter.

In September, the company announced the appointment of three new executives: Julie Heo as chief legal officer (CLO), Jane Jon as chief finance officer (CFO), and Yuna Kim as associate vice president (AVP) of Resort Sales….

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While it may have flown relatively under the radar, perhaps the biggest story in the women’s basketball world this week (aside from the New York Liberty becoming WNBA champions) is the WNBA players have opted out of their current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The CBA was set to expire following the 2027 season, but because the WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA) exercised the opt-out clause in the agreement, that expiration date has moved up to after the 2025 season ends.

This is a fascinating development. And given the massive boom of popularity the WNBA has experienced, what the next CBA entails will have huge implications for what the WNBA’s future looks like, from a player pay perspective.

And in an October 23 article from Sportico’s Eric Jackson, Ex-NBA Players Association deputy general counsel Hal Biagas explained the impact that Indiana Fever icon could have in CBA negotiations — if she decides to flex her influence.

“Biagas believes the WNBA Rookie of the Year could change the tenor of the collective bargaining agreement negotiating room if she opts to take an active role alongside other prominent player voices,” Jackson wrote.

“Biagas, who was among key members who drafted the NBA/NBPA 1999 and 2005 collective bargaining agreements, was asked about legend Michael Jordan’s influence during CBA discussions and how it relates to Clark.”

“Michael wasn’t always heavily involved, but when he did decide to get involved it made a difference,” Biahas is quoted saying in the article. “It galvanized players and to some degree intimidated owners. It really depends on how Caitlin decides to (or not) wield her power. She certainly has a tremendous amount of power.”

“It really depends on how Caitlin decides to (or not) wield her power. She certainly has a tremendous amount of power.”

Ex NBAPA…

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